Outtakes
by cantobycomeoutandplay
Summary: Assorted POV outtakes from Just Stay With Me. Rated M to be safe.
1. 1: Mid-Flight - JPOV

**A/N: A few readers have asked me in the last year to re-post the outtakes for this story and due to lack of time, I sadly never had the opportunity. I had a little free time today so I thought I would take the chance to do as they asked. To those who have stuck with the story as long as you have and to those who have freshly stumbled upon it, thank you so much for all of your support, encouragement and kind words. I promise this story will be finished, as soon as I can find the time to devote to it wholly. I am immensely grateful for your infinite patience and ask that you bear with me just a little longer...**

 **This outtake is in Jacob's POV (which I shifted to first-person POV as an experiment at the time) and has been re-edited slightly to reflect Jacob's character better in this story.** **If you haven't read the story beforehand, this may be a tad spoiler-y.**

 **Beta Note: This is unbeta'd so I apologize for any grammatical errors found.**

 **Disclaimer: Everything Twilight related belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

 _ **This outtake takes place after Bella and Jacob get on the plane headed to Seattle at the end of the "Silence" chapter.**_

* * *

 **JPOV**

I shifted a little in the seat. My ass was starting to hurt. Yeah, first class is a hell of a lot roomier than coach but I was stuck in this position. And I looked down at the reason why.

Bella.

My Bella.

How beautiful she is. Her eyes closed and her pink lips slightly parted. Her chest moving up and down slowly in deep sleep.

I leaned in and kissed her forehead for the thousandth time during our flight. There was never any gesture, never any words I could ever say to show this woman just how much I loved her.

Hard to believe that this all happened in six weeks but it's real. It's there and it's real. I just _know_ it's right. Something tells me she's starting to see it, too, but sometimes I can't be sure.

Last night... Well, last night was one of the best nights of my life and yet, one of the worst. We had been so happy at Em's. The way she had run down the stairs and jumped into my arms, telling me she missed me. Fuck. I wasn't lying when I said I could have that happen for the rest of my life and die happily. She makes me happy. I smiled down at her sleeping form, kissed her forehead once more and leaned my head back again.

I tried to close my eyes and get in a quick power nap but my mind was too keyed up. Everytime I closed them I'd see Bella. The Bella that scared the fuck out of me.

When that piece of shit had said those things to her last night, I saw what happened. I saw her face. It had hurt her. Cut into her so deep she just shut down. And then my Bella wasn't there anymore. Instead there was an empty shell left behind, not moving, practically not breathing.

I wanted to beat the shit out of him for hurting her like that but when I saw Em move in and try to talk to her and she wasn't responding, my instincts kicked in. I had to get to her, help her. Something was wrong, very wrong. I felt the urge even stronger when I saw her backing away from Em. Em, the one person besides me who she trusted implicitly. She had told me how close they were. A fact I had become grateful for this past weekend.

And even when I tried to reach her, she looked at me blankly, like a damn zombie. Like she didn't know who I was. It fucking broke my heart when she wanted to leave, without me, but I ignored the pain and did what I had to do to take care of her. She's what matters.

Thank God for Em. Man, if that guy wasn't on my side, I swear he and I would have fucking killed each other. He is a big guy and just as devoted to Bella as I am. If Bella told him to beat my ass, he would and not even think twice about it. But at least he got the fucking prick away from me and Bella, gave us the time we needed.

I admit it, when I saw how skittish she was, how 'spooked', it made me even sadder but worse than that, it scared me. She stayed as far from me in the car as she could. And when I tried to touch her hand, just to let her know I was there, she recoiled from me. Me. Her Jake.

I was so fucking scared I was going to lose her. I didn't know what to do. I thought about calling Em or, hell, even Blondie, but I didn't know if they could get through to her. I thought about Em's failed attempts and decided to just let things be and see where they went. I would get through to her. Somehow, some way, I _would_.

I did my best to make her smile and after a while, she finally did. Once I heard her laugh, I knew my Bella was back. She was still there, buried deep underneath all of that pain. The haunted look was still in her eyes, though, but she was hugging me. As long as she wasn't shrinking away from me, as long as she was touching me, I knew it would be okay.

I have to say, whatever Prickward said to her, really did a number on her. She was a lot more dependent on me, a little more clingy, than she normally would have been. I didn't mind so much. I love the girl. If she wanted to hold my hand and keep me in her bed, who was I to complain? Especially, when I had been fighting so hard to be in _that_ position? It was my fucking dream. For once, she was depending on me, looking to me for something and not running to that fucker. I could live with that. But, I didn't have to look at her face to know that as much as she was back and with me, there was something still different, something changed. Something still sitting there, in between us, keeping us from one another, like a huge fucking wedge. And it killed me.

I never really realized just how much access I had to her before all of this. I thought she had kept me at bay before, never wanting to get too involved with me at first, and then scared to admit how she really felt about me because she was convinced she couldn't be without Edward.

But I was wrong.

Now it was harder to get through to her. _Now_ is where I didn't have full access to her. Suddenly, Edward wasn't the biggest threat anymore. _This_ was. _This_ is what's keeping me from the girl I love. I didn't know what _this_ was but I'll be damned if _it_ or anything else was going to come between us.

And of course, Em wouldn't tell me. I asked him but he just shook his head and said it was for Bella to tell me if she wanted me to know. It wasn't for him to say. I pushed him into a wall for that one. He took it in stride, of course, apologizing left and right but standing firm in his decision. Eventually, I calmed down and let him go. He wasn't the one I was pissed at. It was stupid of me to ask. I should have known he wouldn't give it up. Bella was his number one priority, too. A role both of us took very seriously. So I brushed him off, thanked him, apologized myself, told him I'd talk to him tomorrow and went back upstairs to my girl.

I stared down at Bella.

This is the girl I'm meant to be with. If I believed in such crap like fate and destiny, then this girl was the one. No doubt about it. I felt it every time I kissed her, every time I touched her, hell, every time I heard her voice. I just knew. This is the woman who's meant to carry my last name. Hell, even Tom the really smart driver knew. She's meant to be with me. I just know it. And I'm gonna make sure she knows it, too.

I had already called Dad and let him know I was coming for that ring. Mom's ring.

Dad's not an idiot. I didn't fill him in on all the details but he knows I'm getting divorced. I think he was a little surprised when I asked him to give me the ring when I see him but he didn't say anything and would have it waiting and ready. I knew he had always wondered why I didn't give it to Ness when I asked her to marry me. But, then again, he did meet Ness at the wedding. So, he kind of had an idea why. She wasn't the type to appreciate the sentiments attached to the small band my mother had once worn, since it wasn't brand new or weighted down by a huge fucking diamond, no matter how much it meant to me so I didn't even bother. Instead, I used some of the little savings I had in conjunction with a small loan from Sam to buy her something more suited to her tastes. I scoffed in disgust. Even then it hadn't mattered...

I shook my head, scattering the direction those past thoughts were going in and focused on the present. I'm not fucking stupid. I know if I ask Bella right now with how unsure she is with everything and with _this_ on top of it, not to mention how short of a relationship we've actually had so far or the fact that she still loves that shit of a husband she has, I'm getting my ass handed to me. She'll freak and run off and I definitely will _never_ see her again. But, I have an opportunity and I'm taking it. I was going out there, anyway. Why not kill two birds with one stone and get the ring while I'm at it?

I know what my dad and Rach are gonna say when I talk to them. 'Six weeks? Are you sure? That's not a long enough time to jump into marriage, Jake.' Yep, I'm that fucking sure. I feel it everywhere. Bella is it for me and soon that prick of a husband of hers is gonna know it, too, and he'll be history.

I know she's gonna pick me. I just know it. She feels it, too. She was happy last night. Just as much as I was. Until all that other shit happened, that is. And holding her in my arms last night, while she was asleep? Best fucking night of my life.

Like I said, best night and worst night of my life right there. I only hope these four days will be even better. And they will be. I'll make sure of it.

The blonde stewardess made her way over to me _again_. And of course, she shook her hips and flipped her hair, giving me that smile. I think she even lifted her skirt up a little before coming over to talk to me. Inside, I rolled my eyes at her. What an easy lay this would be had I not already met the woman of my dreams and had her snuggled into my side. Hell, I wouldn't even have to work for it with how eager this girl was. She was hot, no question about it, and her legs went on for miles. All I would have to do is give her a look, make my way towards the back, take her into the bathroom, bend her sweet ass over, lift her skirt and shove into her. I'd have her screaming against my hand in no time, begging me for more. Fuck, I bet she'd let me do whatever I fucking wanted to her and I hadn't been able to do that for a while now... The idea resurrected a little nostalgia but also brought with it a large wave of guilt that consumed me when Bella stirred slightly next to me. I glanced down towards her sleeping form and the guilt tripled. How could I ever fucking think that shit? Even though I hadn't planned on doing anything, even thinking it, with some fucked up tiny tendrils of nostalgia from my past attached to it, was wrong. Bella's lips curved into a small smile in sleep and it made me smile in return. How could I ever have those thoughts when I had this beautiful woman next to me? Old habits dying hard be damned; none of it mattered, only _**she**_ did. I brushed my lips tenderly against the crown of her head before turning back to meet the translucent blue gaze focused intently on me, determination shadowing my every move and resolve lining the words shaping in my throat.

The bold flight attendant leaned down to talk to me and gave me a nice view of her cleavage. Wait, didn't they have some sort of dress code for stewardesses or something? Is she really allowed to pop those buttons on her dress shirt? Fuck, why couldn't that other stewardess from the beginning of the flight be serving us? With everything going on, this girl trying to tempt me back to my old ways was the last fucking shit I needed.

She smiled extra wide and I think I even saw her tongue slip along her bottom lip, the woman attached to my side not even a thought in her pretty little head. Are you fucking kidding me?

"Is there anything else I can get for you, sir? _Anything_?" She practically purred.

Only a fucking slut would hit on me every fucking two minutes while my girl (supposed girlfriend or wife to these people) is sleeping against my chest. I seriously debated on just telling her to get her ass away from me but we still had a couple of hours left to go and she was only one of two stewardesses serving us. I didn't want to cause a problem. But the guilt from earlier reared its ugly head, reminding me that I had allowed her tempting offer to get into my head for a fraction of second and rage strengthened my resolve.

I gave her a polite but empty smile.

This bitch wasn't my fucking type anyway. Nope. Petite brunettes that have me going fucking crazy for them every minute of every day is more my style. Petite brunettes who like to lay against me and listen to my heart beat. Petite brunettes who tell me they love me each chance they get and lay kisses on me that make my world end.

"No, thank you. _We're_ fine. But if _we_ need anything, _we'll_ let you know." I gave her the best damn meaningful look I could while still remaining courteous about it.

She smiled even wider. What the fuck? "Okay, well if you need anything, _anything_ at all, I'll be in the back right next to the _bathrooms_."

I stared at her in disbelief.

She smirked and stood up slowly and walked away, shaking her ass for my benefit.

I shook my head. I had to hand it to the blonde. She was determined but no fucking way was she going to get what she wanted. She could fuck some other horny bastard in that tiny shit bathroom.

"Jaaaake..."

My fucking heart stopped and my dick throbbed. Shit. I looked down. Had Bella heard everything? Had she seen the whole exchange? Had she known how I had been thinking mere moments ago?

Thankfully, Bella was still asleep.

Fuck, had she just moaned my name? Oh shit, did that mean she was dreaming of me? Was I fucking drilling her? God, I hoped I was. The thought had me at full salute, making me discreetly adjust myself.

She moaned again and dug into my chest with her fingers. It hurt in the best way possible. "Baby..."

Fuck, fuck, fuck! The hard-on from hell was back. Shit! I wanted to get _**her**_ into the fucking bathroom. I now had the urge to join the mile-high club. Fuck!

Her fingers gripped tighter making me groan. Shit, I hoped no one heard that.

"Mmmmmm baby, yessss, just like that, mmmm..."

I did a quick scan to make sure no one was looking our way. They weren't. I looked back to see her breathing a little faster than before.

Holy fucking hell. I wanted to unzip my jeans, pull my dick out, grab Bella, move her underwear to the side and slide her right onto me. Fuck, I needed her so badly. My dick was so hard it was practically pulsing and it fucking hurt. I wanted to fuck the shit out of her. Fuck the rest of the plane. We'll give 'em a show.

And then I heard a gasp. "Right there, Jake. Right...there...harder..."

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. This girl was trying to fucking kill me.

She started panting in my ear and I fucking lost it. I opened my eyes and kissed her. Not hard enough to wake her up but just enough to taste her. Something I wouldn't dare do while she was awake.

I pulled back, not really wanting to, but not about to force my tongue down her throat while she was asleep.

I heard her whisper, "Baby...I love you."

I couldn't help but smile. She was somehow still asleep. She was fucking me in her dream and yet still telling me she loved me. Maybe this meant we could go back to the way things were before?

I kissed her nose, I loved her nose. "Baby, I love you, too. So fucking much. I promise, this trip is going to be amazing for us. You'll see," I whispered to her.

Then I heard a slight snore. I shook my head, smiling. I kissed her forehead, leaned back in my chair and chuckled.

Only Bella.

I sighed and closed my eyes. I love this girl so fucking much, I'd do anything for her. Anything at all.

Now if only this fucking hard-on would go away on its own...

.

.

.

.

I must have dozed off for a bit.

I opened my eyes, yawning and checking my watch. I must have been out for a good twenty minutes.

 _Just twenty? Damn._

I looked down at Bella. Still asleep, although no longer snoring.

I shook my head again and kissed her forehead. My Bella. My Bells. Just then, I heard the curtain open a ways in front of us.

There stood the blonde, looking clearly miffed that I hadn't just drooled and followed her to the back. I vaguely wondered how long she had been waiting. Ah, I didn't really fucking care. Like I said, I've got my perfect woman in my arms. Nobody and nothing else matters.

The blonde gave me the evil eye and started to make her way towards me.

I sighed in annoyance. Was she fucking kidding me? Didn't my not meeting her in the back like she offered been obvious enough that I wasn't interested? This was just getting fucking ridiculous. Okay, no more being polite. I needed to put this bitch in her place and fast.

A hand shot out and interrupted her stride. Some old guy was trying to get her attention for another blanket or something. She very reluctantly stopped and helped him.

I turned and kissed Bella's lips one more time, not caring in the least if the blonde saw. And then I grabbed Bella's left hand and kissed the bare spot on her ring finger.

God, I loved her for that. How fucking amazing a feeling it was to take her hand earlier and find she had taken them off. I was going to ask her to once we got to the garage, out of respect for our trip but really more so for me. She was with me for four days. I didn't think it was that outrageous of a request.

But she had done it all on her own. And for me. For _us_.

I had never wanted to grab her and make love to her so much than I did right there. I wanted to make love to her for hours, not caring that it was Edward's bed or not. Or if he'd come home to find me making his wife scream my name in his bed or not. But she had pulled me out of my fantasy and quickly. I was thankful because I was about to let my dick run the show.

But the sound of her voice tugged at my heart and reminded me exactly why I didn't. Why I was holding back, waiting. Why I was doing everything I was to keep her with me, to take care of her, to protect her from getting hurt. I love her.

I kissed her finger one more time and then lowered her hand gently. I leaned my head back, seeing the blonde glaring at me. I gave her one hell of a cocky smile. She scoffed and turned away, heading back to the curtained area, her ass no longer shaking. Well, guess that was the end of my drink run.

I leaned forward a little and pulled out one of the magazines we had bought, flipping it over. Cosmo. I chuckled and opened it eagerly. I didn't give a shit if anyone saw me reading it. Yeah, it's a chick mag but like Bella said, the _articles_ are really the important part. I smirked when I remembered how she had teased me in the store.

I checked the table of contents and flipped straight to '15 Of the Hottest Sex Tips Every Couple Should Know'.

I started reading through.

 _Check._

 _Check._

 _Check._

 _Kind of._

 _Check._

 _Wait, hold on. No, we definitely have not done that. Shit, we need to._ I looked down at Bella and tried to imagine her in _that_ position.

I took a deep breath and felt my dick get even harder if it were possible. Fuck. We were doing it. Even if I had to wait 'till we got back home thanks to Fuckward's bullshit. We were definitely fucking doing that.

I went through the rest of the list. For the most part, we had done pretty much everything. Only a couple of things to try out. And I was fucking excited for them. And anyone who was sitting near me and Bella could tell I was excited, too.

Then I turned to the section titled: '7 Sex Toys That Are Already In Your Bedroom'. And for the first time, I was _really_ grateful for the vibration option on my phone.

Speaking of vibrations, I wondered if Bella had brought the gift I had given her. I looked down at her sleeping face, sighed and kissed her forehead one more time. I smiled and turned back to the article. Well, if she had forgotten it in the...aftermath of everything, it was no problem. I would improvise and just have to pull something out of my stash. I smirked as I turned the page.


	2. 2: Why - JPOV

**A/N:** **This outtake is in Jacob's POV (which I've kept in its original 3rd-person POV format) and has been re-edited slightly to reflect Jacob's character and his thoughts regarding Ness' character better in this story.** **If you haven't read the story beforehand, this may be a tad spoiler-y.**

 **Beta Note: This is unbeta'd so I apologize for any grammatical errors found.**

 **Disclaimer: Everything Twilight related belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

 _ **This outtake takes place after Bella ended things with Jacob at the end of the "Gone" chapter and also occurs during the dinner Bella missed in the beginning of the "Different" chapter.**_

* * *

 _Shit._

 _Shit. Shit. Fuck._

 _Unfuckingbelieveable!_

 _Goddammit!_

Jake shook his head, then placed his forehead in his hands as he walked down the beach. A few angry tears made their way onto his cheeks which were quickly wiped away.

Bella had broken it off. For good this time.

He knew she had been dangerously close to the edge. He could sense it. Ever since that day at the store, she had been precariously shifting the future of their relationship back and forth.

He had done everything he could to keep them together. He threatened her, begged her, made love to her, confessed to her his feelings. Well, okay, maybe not _all_ of his feelings, but enough to get them started on the right track. But he should have known that would make her run.

He sighed and dropped his hands, closing his eyes. He loved her so much, why couldn't she see that? Didn't she know he would do anything for her? Didn't she realize how much power she had over him?

He opened his eyes and turned, walking to the water's edge. He stopped and stared out into the open expanse of ocean.

He knew this weekend wasn't going to be easy on them. He had known. But he didn't expect her to break it off between them within the first few hours they were here.

His jaw clenched. And for _him_ of _all_ people. How fucking ridiculous was that?

He glanced down, not really seeing the dark blue water making its way towards him, waving to him, beckoning for him to join it.

 _Bella, Bella, Bella._

He sighed and shut his eyes again. He wasn't entirely sure he could do this. How did she expect him to go forty eight hours in the same house with her and not touch her? Kiss her? Grab her hand? Or...make love to her?

Those words brought hers rushing back to his head, making him angrier than ever.

 _"So let me get this straight, it bothers you that I made love to you, Bella?"_

 _"That's not what bothers me. What bothers me is why it happened."_

 _Why_ it happened? Why the fuck did she think it happened? Why the fuck else did she think he would make love to her?

Because he fucking loved her, that's why! He had held her, caressed her, kissed her sweetly, asked her to stay with him, to keep that connection going so he could show her without words just how much he truly loved her. And that _bothered_ her!

It had been his only option, his only way to show her. He had come close to telling her today with the words he'd been wanting to say for so long but he knew. He knew if he did she'd run so far he'd never get her back. And that he couldn't have happen. He loved her. He wanted her. He needed her. So he did the next best thing he could just to show her how much she meant to him.

And it was one of the most beautiful sweetest moments of his life. Making love to her was so simple, so perfect, so... _right_. If he never knew how much they truly belonged together before, he certainly knew it then. Once they moved together, not rough and hard like they usually did, and truly became one, connecting with every breath, every touch, every kiss, he knew.

He had always known Bella would be _the_ one. The one to work her way into his heart without even trying. The one to stay there for the rest of his life regardless of what happened between them over time. The one who left him forever changed. The one who made him want to be a better man. The one who had him dreaming constantly of a new life. A life with her. The one that had him planning out the course of the rest of their lives. Together. The one who had him working harder and longer each day. The one who had him and Seth looking for ways to expand the business so more money could be made. The one who had him working out a contingency plan for once he finally left his wife, demanding a divorce so he could be free to be with _**her**_. The one who made him fantasize at least ten times a day of how he'd beg her to leave _him_ , how ecstatic and on air he'd be when she did (and he knew she would, he just needed to give her time), how he'd propose to her, how he'd spend every day of the rest of his life trying to make her happy.

A big house. A family. Yes, he'd give her a family if that's what she wanted. It scared the living shit out of him, but if she wanted-gulp-kids, he knew he wouldn't hesitate to give her what she wanted. And then the image of her round with his child popped into his head and it made him smile sadly. There was something so sexy about it. Knowing that it would be his baby she would be carrying inside her tiny body, growing, conceived in a moment of them loving each other. Something that they created. Together.

Tears began to cloud his vision and that damn lump started to form in his throat. He shook his head and cleared his throat loudly.

He was turning into a damn chick flick. He was the girl on the beach dreaming of the life she would have with the guy she was head over heels for. The house, the marriage, the family, hell, even the damn dog. _Black Labrador._ Jake snorted. Why didn't he just start planning their damn wedding while he was at it?

 _Small, intimate, on the beach at sunset._

Fuck. _See what you fucking do to me, Bells?_ He smirked and shook his head. _Shit, Bells. What the fuck am I gonna do with you?_

He sighed and began to rub his eyes with both hands. He knew one thing. He wasn't giving her up that easily. Her being stubborn or not, her just giving him the ol' heave ho or not, he was _not_ giving her up. She meant too much to him and he knew she felt something for him, too. Something she refused to vocalize. Something he saw more and more each time they were together.

He didn't know how he was going to do it, but he was going to get her back. She had come into his life and fucking twisted it all around to a point where he didn't even recognize it anymore. So she would just have to deal with the consequences. Those consequences being him.

Yes, he would get her back. He loved her too much to let her go.

He began to walk back in the direction of the house as his determination strengthened into steel resolve.

He smiled to himself. Yes, he would definitely get her back.

.

.

.

.

Okay, maybe he wouldn't get her back.

She had failed to show up at dinner, giving some bullshit excuse that she wasn't feeling well or some shit. Yeah. Right. And now he was stuck in some goddamn endless fucking stupid ass dinner with his darling wife and their guests. And of course, Edward had joined them.

As Jake took a long pull of his third beer, he snorted sarcastically. What kind of man leaves his wife at home sick? Goes to dinner without her, sitting here laughing and having a good time, and not once calling to check up on her or tell her he loves her?

A dick, that's who. And this was the guy she had pushed him away for? He snorted again. _Please._

If Bella was his wife, he'd be on the fucking phone with her in a heart beat. No, fuck that. He wouldn't be here period. He'd be at home, holding her, stroking her hair, rubbing her back the way she liked. He didn't give a shit if he had a dinner at the White House with the President. Bella would come first.

He shook his head and took another long pull of his drink. Ness watched him out of the corner of her eye and he could tell she wasn't pleased. He smiled wickedly at her and emptied the bottle. He then motioned for the waiter who was only too happy to get him another. He felt Ness' hand cover his own and he never had such a strong urge to knock it off as he did now.

"Babe, don't you think you should slow down a little? That's going to be your fourth drink," she whispered, her tone sweet for the others to hear but Jake could hear the restrained anger underneath it as she had meant him to.

He laughed, knowing they were indeed being watched and he could fucking care less. "Well, _babe_ , that's amazingly observant of you. That has to be the most attention you've paid me during our whole marriage. And to think, here I thought you just didn't give a shit."

He saw Ness flinch and pull her hand back, dropping her eyes in a feigned rebuke. Jake had no doubt about it; he would pay for his small act of rebellion later. He turned towards the rest of the table, smirking and uncaring. Sure enough, Rose kept her eyes on her plate and Emmett and Edward glared at him. _And the Oscar goes to..._ Ness had once again proved herself to be a master of manipulation. He half-wondered what story she would weave this time to garner further sympathy from this crowd, how she would paint him as the villain of this piece once again. _Oh, wait, that's right. I no longer give a flying fuck._

He chuckled to himself and immediately snatched the bottle from the waiter who suddenly appeared next to him, followed by a silent tip of the glass in salute towards the beautiful redhead who was surreptitiously glaring daggers at him. Jake began to sip the cold beer, grateful for the numbing warmth its alcohol was beginning to provide. Let them fucking glare! Who gave a shit anymore? Certainly not him.

It was his wife. Supposedly. His marriage. His fucked up marriage that he only stayed in just so the woman he loved wouldn't freak and break it off with him for good. He knew if he finally moved out of the house he was forced to share with the fucking psychotic witch he couldn't endure any more than a nasty stomach virus, then Bella would automatically assume it was because of her and would freak, leave him standing there with moving boxes in his arms. And he knew she would then definitely never leave _him_.

Funny, Jake was easy to leave apparently, to walk away from but this piece of shit sitting to his right, who was all too happy to direct a reproachful frown his way, was unleaveable and impossible to walk away from. How was that? What was it about Jake that was so horrible, so unlovable that he wasn't good enough? That he wasn't _enough_ in comparison to this pale scrawny prick next to him? Jake tried his best. He really did. So why was that not enough?

Jake took another sip of his beer and stared down at the table before closing his eyes. _Why, baby? Why am I not enough for you?_ The familiar pangs of painful longing and insecurities rose up at the thought but he pushed it back down as soon as it had appeared.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as her face came to his mind. _I love you, Bells. So fucking much. Why can't you love me back?_

And then his answer cleared his throat annoyingly loud next to him, forcing Jake's eyes to open and fiercely glare at the fucker. "So, Ness, when are your parents going to join us?"

Jake saw Ness, who was sitting across from him, perk right up, plastering a beaming smile onto her face and answer in her fake cheery ass voice, "They'll be here tomorrow actually. Daddy was saying something about a party at their house, blah, blah, blah..."

Jake smirked. Okay, so maybe he had added in that last part. He sighed loudly and took another sip, not caring in the least at the four pairs of eyes that narrowed at him when he did.

 _Bella, Bella, Bella._

This was going to be a _long_ fucking weekend.


	3. 3: Far From Over - JPOV

**A/N:** **This outtake is in Jacob's POV (which I've kept in its original 3rd-person POV format) and has been re-edited slightly to reflect Jacob's character and his thoughts regarding his feelings towards Bella and their situation at this point in the story.** **If you haven't read it beforehand, this may be a tad spoiler-y.**

 **Beta Note: This is unbeta'd so I apologize for any grammatical errors found.**

 **Disclaimer: Everything Twilight related belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

 _ **This outtake takes place at the beginning of the "Different" after the dinner Bella missed; it's Jacob's take on the scene between him and Bella in the kitchen.**_

* * *

Everyone had gone upstairs to sleep hours ago. Jake had opted to stay downstairs and continue his race to emotional paralysis instead. Each sip was the distant promise of the abscence of the image of Bella Cullen from his head. At least for tonight. So he decided to continue in his quest. If another sip was all it took, then he would do it.

It was amazing actually. He was trying to forget her, his broken heart was devastated by the destruction she had caused, numb, afraid to vibrate in the beginning of a beat yet he was harder than a fucking rock for her.

He hated the effect she had on him. He really did.

And the more he drank, the harder he was and the harder it became to try to forget her.

And then, as if by some divine providence, she came to him. He smirked. _Divine Providence._

Of course, she hadn't known he was there. He saw her sneak in and tiptoe to the fridge. He could see her wild hair and blotchy face in the light supplied by the appliance. So she _had_ been crying. Was it because of him he wondered or was it because her precious fucking husband had been away from her most of the night? He snorted quietly and shook his head. Probably the latter. Knowing her.

And then he got angry and he couldn't resist. "Feeling _better_?"

He had scared her. Good. Fuck her. He was surprised she didn't scream for her albino husband to come and save her from the big bad man she had fucked around with the last month.

Bella looked down and made her way over to him. He wanted nothing more than to grab her, force her over the counter, rip those fucking pants down and fuck the shit out of her. He may be hurt. He may be heartbroken. But his dick sure wasn't. His dick was not giving up its addiction to her body anytime soon. It wanted to be inside her. And it sure as hell twitched in its need when she came near.

The need became so much that it only served to piss him off more. Why did this goddamn woman have so much power over him? And why is it that the women who did, seemed to not want him? Why was he stuck on them when they clearly weren't stuck on him at all? Why?

And then she spoke. "Hey."

He could hear it in her voice. She practically croaked it at him. He couldn't help but smirk at her. "Hey."

She just stared at him. "Soo...um...what are you...doing up?"

Was she fucking serious? "Last time I checked, this was _my_ house. What are _you_ doing up?"

He saw her wince and glance down again, nervously moving some hair behind her ear. He felt himself get angrier. She had torn his heart from his body and threw it into the blender right in front of him and _**she**_ was acting all shy and hurt herself? Was she fucking kidding him?

"Sorry...I just...I um...I didn't mean..."

He really didn't have time for this. If this was how she was going to act, she might as well just go back upstairs and leave him to his new love affair with Sam Adams. "Yeah, whatever, Bella." He couldn't even look at her, he was so pissed.

"Sorry...I'll just..."

He turned to see her beginning to walk away. And no matter how much a minute ago he may have wanted her to leave, he couldn't bear to let her walk away from him. Not now. "You thought it was me and _her_ up there."

She stopped. He hit the nail on the head. That's why she was up. Unfuckingbelievable! Did she really think so little of him that she believed he would jump the one woman whose existence he couldn't stand? Just to get even with her? Just to rub it in her face? Just to cause her the same pain she had inflicted upon him earlier when he was forced to witness the delighted and somewhat smug expression her bastard of a husband wore after saying how tired Bella must be? No, Jake was an asshole but not that much of an asshole. And as if he would fucking touch _her_. Yeah, right.

Before Jake knew what he was doing, his body led him over to Bella so he could stand right behind her and lean into her. His dick was definitely leading the procession right now. He placed his mouth at her ear, his eyes closing as he took in her sweet scent. Just the smell of her strawberry-scented shampoo made his dick throb painfully. "Didn't you?"

That pissed her off and he knew it would. She jerked around to face him and he couldn't help but feel a little satisfied. The way he fucking felt, how frustrated he was, he was glad he could throw some of it her way. She didn't answer his question and so he decided to push. He wanted to piss her off more. "Well?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He laughed. "Yeah, you do." Was she really trying to convince him otherwise? Didn't she know how well he could read her? Didn't she know he could see the jealousy consume her when he so much as looked at his wife? For all she had yelled at him for his behavior earlier with that fucking prick, Jake knew that Bella was just as jealous. But he had never held it against her. Not the way she had him.

Just the thought made him miss her more. He wanted to hold her, touch her, kiss her. He lifted his hand to her cheek and began to stroke it gently. "Reminds you of old times, huh?"

With his eyes he was begging her to kiss him. He saw her try to move away. "Jake..." So he leaned in before he lost his chance. He just needed to feel her lips on his...just once.

But before he could seal the deal, Bella moved back, leaving him to struggle for balance. "Jake!"

 _That_ pissed him off! What, now she didn't even want to fucking kiss him? He had been good enough to fuck all this time, to kiss, to touch, to _use_...but when he finally told her he cared about her, making their relationship more meaningful, now all of a sudden he was a fucking leper?

He brought his hands to his face, sighing angrily and then laughing. She was driving him fucking insane! He turned and glared at her. "I should've fucking known."

He saw her look down again and cross her arms. Yeah, of course she felt guilty, because she knew she had indeed used him. And not only that but lied to him about it!

"I should've fucking known the first time I saw you. I should've known you'd fuck with me this way."

And then he saw her lift her head and look at him as if she were confused. Yeah right. "I didn't fuck with you, Jake."

He snorted at that one. "Bullshit."

"I didn't!"

He winced at her increase in volume. Shit, if she was gonna start yelling, he'd go back to his beer. Fuck that. "Keep it down. I wouldn't want to wake up your precious husband." But in truth, he did. And he wanted to tell the prick that he'd been fucking _his_ wife for the last six weeks. That she belonged with him and only him. That _he_ could go fuck himself. And if Bella didn't want him, then she could go fuck herself, too. He was an attractive guy. He'd never had trouble finding willing women before. Why should he suffer now? Why, because this one woman wouldn't give him what he wanted? Fuck that.

And then he heard it. "I'm sorry, Jake."

He was beyond pissed now. He laughed and turned back to her, seeing her eyes were closed. _Yeah, don't want to see the damage you've done, do ya, Bells?_ _Of course._ He turned back to the counter, unwilling to look at her anymore. "Yeah, whatever. I'm tired of hearing you say that, Bella."

When he didn't get a response, he turned back to face her. "I really fucking am."

He could see that she was sad and was looking to him, begging for his understanding, for his acceptance of her heartfelt apology. But he was too pissed and he was too hurt. So instead, he decided to go for the knees. "You're not sorry. Why would you be? We both got what we needed, right? So why be sorry?"

He saw her flinch and he smirked in satisfaction. _Good. Let her think she's just a meaningless fuck. That's all_ I _am to her._

Jake then realized his bottle was empty so he grabbed another one out of the fridge. _Where would I be without you, Sam?_ He snorted at the thought as he took another sip.

He glanced over at her and noticed she was looking down again, not saying anything. God, she was pissing him off!

"I mean, that's what it was, right Bells? A good fuck that both of us needed. Right?" He knew it was a lie as soon as it made its way out of his mouth. But he couldn't let her see just how badly he needed her. Not right now. Not ever. She didn't want him so let her think that it was just casual on his part. Why not?

He saw her flinch again. _Gee, for someone who wanted it just to be sex, she sure doesn't like it when I call it what it is._ He snorted again sarcastically.

"Jacob, I..."

He lost his temper at that one. No fucking way was she going to stand here and keep going with the fucking 'I'm sorry's'. No. fucking. way! "I swear to God, Bella, if you say you're sorry one more fucking time..."

He saw her eyes go wide. He hadn't realized he had moved so close to her. As pissed as he was at her, he hadn't meant to scare her. Shit. He meant to apologize, to back off but for some reason he couldn't make himself do either.

"I wasn't going to..."

"Good." He knew he should move away but he couldn't. Now that he was close to her _again_ , he didn't want to be any farther from her. He didn't know what to do so he took a pull of his beer, looking in the direction of the living room.

He could still hear Em and Rose going at it. Jesus, talk about fucking inconsiderate. God, what he wouldn't give to have Bella moaning like that under him, on top of him, in front of him, next to him - whatever. If she would just fucking get it through her thick fucking head that he loved her, they could...

He pushed that thought out of his head and took a deep breath. Why couldn't she just fucking see it? She had him! Heart, body, hell even fucking soul. He couldn't breathe without her practically. Why couldn't she feel the same for him? Why?

Jake heard another moan and he felt his dick twitch yet again when he realized just how close he was still standing to Bella during his little reverie. He also realized she hadn't spoken yet and was looking towards the living room like he was. She had heard them, too. Who wouldn't?

He couldn't resist one last little push. "Man, they're loud." He turned to look at her after taking another swig. "Pretty inconsiderate for other people in this house who aren't gettin' any, if you ask me." He stared at her meaningfully while taking another sip of his beer. He was so damn hard it hurt. He wanted to be inside of her so fucking bad.

Jake saw her roll her eyes. "Goodnight, Jake."

Whoa. Not the reaction he had been expecting. What the fuck?

Bella started to walk out of the kitchen and before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her and pulled her back to him. She was struggling to get free and he tightened his arms around her, locking her against him.

"Let me go, Jake."

He couldn't help but laugh. "You weren't trying to get away from me so badly this morning." All her movements against him were getting him there without even trying. He could feel the familiar tightening.

He heard her grunting in her efforts. _Oh God..._ "That was then. This is now. Let me go." If she moved even a little more... He moved in to kiss her and she turned away from him.

Normally this would have angered him, but right now, his focus was on _other_ things. He kissed her ear instead and nibbled on the lobe. "No." No fucking way was he letting her go right now.

He was about to grab her ass and start grinding it hard into his dick, just so he could get some form of release even if she wouldn't give him what he wanted, when he heard her hiss at him, "Jake, fucking let me go. We already went over this. It's over."

Oh, she thought this was over, did she? Far fucking from it. He breathed into her ear, "Funny, I seem to remember telling you that it's not over until _I_ say it's over. And Bella?"

He noticed she had turned around to glare at him. Her face was all flushed and her hair was in disarray. Fuck, she was so fucking hot when she was pissed. "What?"

Just the anger he saw there was enough to make him explode in his pants in anticipation. His dick wanted to release badly but he forced it to hold out a little longer by taking some deep breaths and focusing on what was to come. This angry hate sex was gonna be fucking incredible. He hoped she even threw in some slaps for good measure.

No, he would hold out. He wouldn't explode right now. Nope. He wanted to be buried fucking deep inside her when he did, giving her what she wanted all this time. Then she would truly have all of him and she would know. She would know that he loved her, would do anything for her, even risk getting her pregnant. Then, she would know...

He stared down at her, his dick throbbing painfully with each breath she took against him. He could just hear it screaming at him, _"Come on, already!"_

"It's not over."

He forced his mouth to hers. He could feel her struggling again, getting him close again. Fuck. No fucking way. He needed to be inside her. Right. Fucking. Now.

He picked her up, making sure he kept his lips fastened to hers lest she tried to scream or yell for her fucking piece of shit husband. He was pretty sure she wouldn't, though. Because she knew Jake would tell him and anyone else who would listen everything at this point. He had nothing to lose now. Except her. And _that_ wasn't going to happen.

It was a good thing he did keep himself glued to her because she was fighting him nonstop. He didn't even remember making the decision, but he dragged her down to Ness' office. He opened the door as quickly as he could and moved them in there, keeping a tight hold on her, shutting the door and moving her towards the desk he was intent to have her on.

This was _far_ from fucking over.


	4. Whatever It Takes - EmPOV

**A/N:** **This outtake is in Emmett's POV (which I've kept in its original 1st-person POV format) and has been re-edited slightly to reflect Emmett's character and his thoughts regarding his feelings towards Bella, Edward, Jacob and their situation at this point in the story.** **If you haven't read it beforehand, this may be a tad spoiler-y.**

 **Beta Note: This is unbeta'd so I apologize for any grammatical errors found.**

 **Disclaimer: Everything Twilight related belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

 _ **This outtake takes place near the end of "Silence"; it starts when Bella and Jake are getting ready to leave and Bella calls Edward. I know some were not so thrilled with this particular outtake and a few found it unnecessary but I decided to deviate into Emmett's line of thinking a bit to help explain his reasoning for supporting Bella the way he does.**_

* * *

I glanced one more time at the clock.

 _9:17_

Only a half hour more and then I could get out of here and head to work. Thank God.

Rose was definitely pissed at me. Even though she knew why we were doing this and blindly supported me in it, she was not happy with what I was about to do. And for that, I couldn't blame her. I wasn't happy about it, either. I told Bella I'd take care of it and that's what I was gonna do. It just...sucks.

It's not a fun job. And definitely not a desirable one.

I've been where Edward is, where Jake has, and I can say without a doubt it's one of the worst positions to ever be in. Not sure if your woman still loves you, if she's giving it up to someone else behind your back, having it confirmed that she is, the proof staring you right back in the face, making it impossible for you to deny it. Like I said, one of the worst positions to ever be in.

Shit. If this was anyone but Bella, I would have steered clear of this situation long ago. But it is Bella and that means I'm going to be right in the fucking thick of it. Even if she didn't look to me for help, I would jump in with both fucking feet, no questions asked.

In all honesty, I'm not even sure I would have gone this far for Rose. No, that's not true, I would. I love her and I'd do anything for her. Just like Bella.

I looked at the clock again.

 _9:18_

Ah, fuck it. I might as well get it over with.

I get up from the chair I've been sitting in the last hour, watching Edward sleep. It's not as gay and creepy as it sounds. I honestly was just trying to think over what I was about to do. That's all. It's not like Edward's loud snoring is a sound I love to hear. And it's not like I can escape it anywhere else in the house. Wherever I go, it follows me. Like a constant loud chainsaw of a reminder of my sins against my friend. Well, my once upon a time friend. The only reason I even kept up the pretense of an existing friendship was because of Bella. And...well...I still loved the man like a brother. Regardless. Just a brother I'm not too fond of and would rather the only time I hear from be on a yearly Christmas card and that's it.

Shit, now I sound like the asshole. Edward's a good guy, don't get me wrong, just severely misguided right now and still pretty fucked up from last year. I feel for the guy (again in a friends only type of way) but my sympathy has run out. Like I told Bella, she comes first for me. And that's the thought that drives me forward to shake the shit out of Edward's body until he wakes up.

"WHAT THE-FUUCKK!"

I can't help but grin. "Time to wake up, pumpkin." Okay, yeah, I definitely sound gay. Gotta pull back.

He stares up at me all bleary-eyed and pissed off.

I only grin wider and return to my seat as he watches me. He sits up in a huff and rubs his eyes. "Emmett, what the fuck? How did I-get here?"

I roll my eyes. Of course. But inside, I light up. Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought it would be. "You really don't remember, do you?"

Edward blinks and looks at me. "Would I ask if I did?"

"Well, kitten, it's like this. We met in a bar, you started to tell me how interesting you thought I was, how great I looked in the shirt I was wearing, we got to talking, you asked me if we could go back to my place and here we are, the morning after." I give him one hell of a cocky smirk.

"Wow, Em, you kill me. Ha ha." He yawns and covers his eyes with his right hand, still rubbing. "Shit." He drops his hand and closes his eyes in what appears to be pain. "I was supposed to go home last night. Fuck. Bella's gonna kill me."

 _Time to go into character._ I lower my eyes. "Yeah, she is, but not because of that."

"What do you mean?"

Fuck, here we go. Forgive me Lord for I'm about to sin...

I look at him in disbelief. Man, I should get a fucking Oscar with all the performances I've pulled off in the last seventy-two hours alone. "You really don't remember?"

Edward looks worried now. "No. W-What happened, Em? What are you talking about? What does that mean, that she's going to kill me?"

He looks downright scared shitless right now and I know why. The thought has rage running through my veins and has me fantasizing about throwing an uppercut to his jaw but I swallow the anger back down. I need to do this, for Bella. Besides, this is just another thing working in my favor. The thought helps my body to subtly relax back into my seat. "Because of what you said, Edward."

Well fuck me and call me Emma, Edward's paler than normal. What a shock. "W-What did I say?"

I sigh and sit back, looking at him squarely. "Edward, I'm just gonna be straight up with you. Man, you fucked up royally last night. You came here and said some fucking awful things to her. You really don't remember?"

I hear him choking. "O-Oh God! W-What did I say? O-Oh my God!"

I lean forward, my elbows on my knees, my hands clasped in front of me. "Relax. She's calmed down some so you should, too. Take a breath, or four. You came here out of your fucking mind drunk last night."

Edward looks at me helplessly. "Em, please. Tell me what I said. God, if I lose her, Em..."

I let him trail off; it's obvious that he's not intending to finish that sentence. He doesn't need to. He knows he'll be in a world of shit if Bella ever decided to leave him. I see his vulnerable broken scared little puppy look and decide to put him out of his misery. I'm not that much of an asshole, I do feel for the guy. So, I recount every detail to him including what he said to make Bella so upset.

He doesn't say a word, doesn't make a sound. Hell, he doesn't even move. He just stares off into space as he listens, never once meeting my eyes. When I finish, he finally looks up at me and says one thing. "I need to talk to her. Apologize to her. I was horrible and completely out of line last night. I'm surprised you didn't kick my ass, Em."

I laugh. "Yeah, I'm surprised I didn't, either. Must have something to do with that beautiful wife of yours. I had no interest in making her a widow this early on in life."

He winces in response and I don't blame him. Okay, I am that much of an asshole. _Way to be a fucking heartless prick, jackass. Good one._ "Sorry, man. I didn't mean anything by it."

He shakes his head and looks down. "Don't apologize. I deserve it."

I sigh and rub my head, leaning back. "No, you don't. I'm sorry. It's just...man, what the fuck were you thinking last night? Getting trashed like that? I don't mind if you come here to crash every now and then. Hell, I'd prefer it so Bella doesn't have to see you like that but...what the fuck were you thinking?"

He places his forehead into his hands, closing his eyes tiredly. "I wasn't. I just...I screwed up, Em. I had the worst fucking day you can imagine. That whole fight with Ness over me staying an extra day really took a lot out of me. And then quitting on top of it. I mean, I was so happy. I finally felt free, you know. Free of all the bullshit. But at the same time, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I've been there so long. And I have so much invested..."

I glare at him. "Let me make something clear to you. Since you obviously haven't gotten it the first forty eight times I've told you. I do _not_ want to talk about that. Ever. I'm your friend, Edward, and I'm here for you for anything. But that. And as far as MegaBitch goes, don't even fucking mention her name to me. After all of the bullshit she's put us through, I might just go down there today and finally drop her evil ass out of a window twenty six stories high. Get my meaning?"

Edward nods. Smart guy. Most of the time.

I sigh again. "Alright. Now...here's the deal. Bella is still going on her trip with that friend of hers. I spoke to her this morning and she told me that the girl is picking her up earlier than expected. I guess around 9 or something."

Edward drops his head, looking sad. "I was supposed to be with her. I wanted to be with her." He sighs and wipes a hand down his tired face. "I'll call her right now." He looks around for his phone.

"Don't bother."

He looks back up at me in surprise. "Why?"

My lips are in a tight line, as if my body doesn't even want me to spin this huge lie. Oh well. My girl comes first. Get over it, lips. "After what you put her through last night, she needs some time. I know that what you said, you didn't even really mean to say, or even in that way but it really got to her. You fucking hurt her. Badly."

He looks so pained when I say this that I'm almost tempted to turn away rather than see the devastation and guilt there that I'm helping to cause. But I don't; I'm staying strong. This is for Bella. Bella's all that matters to me. And this is what pushes me ahead.

"You did a number on her, Edward. She was really upset. I tried to tell her that you didn't mean what she thought you did but she wouldn't listen to me. And you know she _always_ listens to me." He winces. "She eventually calmed down, thank God, and when I talked to her this morning, she sounded a little better. But, she just wants to get away, be left alone, take some time. And I told her to. She needs this vacation, Edward. You know she does. The store's a good distraction but that's all it is. She needs some time to regroup. I told her to enjoy herself and that I would let you know she left."

Edward looks like he's in agony. _Stay strong._ "Where did she go?"

Fuck, I hadn't thought of that. So instead, I turn it back on him. "She didn't tell you when she made the plans with Ange?"

He shakes his head.

"Oh." I leave it at that and don't answer him.

He opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off, trying to distract his train of thought. "Listen, she has her phone on her. I know she was turning it off for a while but she does have it on her. But Edward, if I were you, I'd take this time to relax, sort through some things, decide what I really want, like whether I want to save my marriage or let it keep going down the tubes..." I glare at him again.

To his credit, he stares right back at me, not blinking once. "Thanks, Em, but I think I can handle this quite well myself."

He says it so curtly I almost want to put him into the wall behind him. Instead, I just give him a wiseass reply. I can't help but sneer at him. "You haven't been _handling_ it! That's the fucking problem! And last night was a prime example, you fucking idiot!" I practically spit it at him. Is he fucking kidding me? See, this is why I can't fucking be friends with this guy anymore. Why he doesn't have my sympathy. He still won't fucking accept his role in all of this, his responsibility and how much he fucked up last year. Unfuckingbelievable!

He looks away and takes a deep breath, torn between sadness and anger. "Fine, Em. What do you suggest I do? How should I _handle_ it?"

Like putty in my hands. Forgive me, Bella. "First, you should go and get your fucking job back, asshole. You have a wife and a mortgage, not to mention two cars, you need to pay for. You can't just quit your main source of income just because you and that psycho have a stupid fucking fight over a change in flight times. You need to be more responsible than that. You've got Bella to think about, for Christ's sake."

He sighs and looks down at his hands. "I can't, Em. I said some pretty serious things to Ness yesterday. She's not gonna take me back."

I snort and he looks up at me. I hide the shiver I get in reaction to the chill that goes down my spine at _that_ name. God, I hate that fucking bitch. "Bullshit. You and I both know that if you go to her and fucking beg, apologize until tomorrow, on your knees, she'll take you back in a heartbeat. You're too valuable to the team, to this account. You know that. She knows that. She'd take you back before she'd take me."

He sighs again and leans back against the couch, staring straight ahead. "Em, if I do that then-"

"It doesn't fucking matter. Bella comes first. You know that."

He sits up in a flash and stares at me exasperatedly. "I do know that! Why the fuck do you think I quit in the first place?! Ness and that fucking place were sucking me dry! I mean, the crazy bitch threatened to fucking fire me because I took a later flight time so I could spend some time with my wife before she left today! What was I supposed to do? Of course, I chose Bella! Bella's my life, Em! You know that!"

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from saying to him what I really want to. I sit up and stare right at him. _Bella._ "I do. But you have to deal with this. You don't have to go all out and be _her_ bitch, but you do need that paycheck. Come on, man, you're good at what you do and you've invested a lot of time and energy in that company. Regardless of that whore, you need to think of that. This is for you and Bella, nobody and nothing else. Got me?"

Edward sighs exhaustedly and places his face in his hands. He groans loudly. Then he lifts his head and nods, not looking at me.

"Now, as far as Bella goes, give her some time, man. Give her a couple of days before you call her. She'll be alright, but give her a chance to get away from some of this bullshit. She needs it. Agreed?"

He nods again. He knows I'm not really giving him a choice on the matter. Like I said, smart guy.

"You good to drive?"

He turns to me and nods one more time.

"Alright, man. Take my car, go home, get cleaned up and then come back and get me and we'll go in together. I'd say shower here but you don't have any clothes. You're gonna want to look extra good today. Maybe you'll get lucky, maybe the bitch will have gotten laid and she'll be cool as a cat and you won't have to grovel too much." I get up and slap him on the back, chuckling for good measure.

Then he gets that look in his eye and he looks straight at me. Well, it's about time. I was wondering when he was gonna pull this one out. "That reminds me. Just what exactly was Black doing here? And with _my_ wife?"

I didn't leave Jake out of the equation when I went over the story for Edward before. On purpose. As fucked up as it is, it's much better to tell the truth and manipulate it in such a way that it's hard to dispute rather than tell a flat-out lie and get caught when the stupid fucking drunk remembers through flashbacks at some point later in time. Then he realizes you lied and then his trust in you is shot to shit. Like I said, it's fucked up but it is what it is. If he doesn't trust anything you say anymore, then you can't take care of _**her**_ anymore. And that was just not fucking happening. Not on my watch. Here goes nothing.

"Simple. He's been staying here since we got back on Sunday. He left the bitch. About time, too. But you already knew that. Hard to miss after that episode down the shore, right? He's got no other place to stay. Come on, man, don't give me that look. I'd do the same for you if Bella ever wizened up and kicked your ass out. Anyway, I called Bella to ask her to come over for dinner, knowing you wouldn't be home right away." I looked at him pointedly and amazingly, he didn't blink once. "She did and Rose kept her busy I asked. Jake got back from the garage around the time we all sat down to eat. We hadn't even made it past the garlic knots before I got the call from you, slurring all over the fucking place. Right then and there, Rose and I decided to get Bella out of the house so she wouldn't have to see you like _that_."

Now he winced. I smiled. I had him.

"I'm just looking out for you, man. Looking out for you both. If she saw you like that, you know there'd be questions and you were in no shape to answer them. You know it. And I'm not gonna have her hurt. At least, that was my intention." I looked at him again pointedly. He didn't meet my eyes. Oh yeah, I so fucking had him. "So, I asked Jake to take her and Rose to get some ice cream. A lame excuse but one that worked that didn't give away what was really going on to him or the girls. Even though, I gotta say, Rose really knew. Sorry, man, but I had to tell her. Like I said, it was a lame fucking excuse. Anyway, they were on their way out when you showed up."

Edward looked up at me in confusion. "Yeah, but you said he was getting into her car when they saw me. Why were they going in her car?"

I looked over at him like he was insane. "Dude, what the fuck does it matter? My car and Rosie's car were blocked. Jake's car is a two-seater and I was not gonna have Rose _and_ Bella trying to squeeze into that thing. Do you have any idea how much Rose would wanna fucking kill me if she got stuck sitting on the stick shift next to Jake of all people? Fuck, I don't even want to think about it." I threw in a shudder for good measure.

He nodded but kept staring at me. "But why wasn't Bella driving? Why was he?" Oh, he remembered that part, did he? I wondered what else he would soon remember. Nothing I hadn't helped to spin, I hoped. I wasn't in the big leagues of advertising for nothing. "And you said Rose wasn't outside yet? Why?"

I shook my head at him. "First of all, I have no idea why Jake was driving instead of Bella. I wasn't there when they worked that out. Maybe Bella didn't want to. Maybe Jake wanted to get the feel of an actual nice car for once. Maybe Bella hates driving at night, fuck, I don't know. It's not something I'm gonna worry about, though. If it's really something _you_ feel like worrying about on the other hand, you go right ahead. Not everybody has an ulterior motive for every little thing." I shot another pointed look at him to drive it home, no pun intended. "Secondly, not that you remember this, but when you and I came into the house, Rose had her jacket on and was about to go outside. I asked her to drive Bella home, make sure she was okay, and to have Jake follow her in his car so he could bring her back home. And that's what they did. Anything else, Sherlock?"

He shook his head. "No."

Okay, granted, Rose did have her jacket on and was about to come outside when Edward and I walked in. Stumbled in is more like it. But only because she heard the shouting and the commotion outside and she was coming to make sure Bella and I were alright. She later disappeared upstairs into our room while I placed Edward in the guest room and never came back out so for all he knew, she actually did what I said.

"And thanks to you, Jake had to crash on the couch because you were sleeping it off up here."

Edward's eyes flashed. "I don't give a fuck where that piece of shit had to crash."

I chuckled and shook my head, looking away. "Ah Edward, funny how you see things sometimes."

He scoffed and turned away from me. Yeah, whatever.

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Now, if you're done interrogating me, Briscoe, then let's get you going so you can come back to get me and we can go in together." I looked quickly at the clock.

 _9:31_

Not bad. _They_ must be at the garage by now. My work was done here and quite effectively I might add. He looks like he's so fucking mired in guilt and regret because of what he's said to Bella. And just like that, I put another pin in. "Come on, man. I called the office already and she's in today. Guess she didn't have to leave for that business trip as early as she thought after all."

He nods and sighs. "Yeah."

"It won't be as bad as you think. Just keep your wits about you and you'll be fine."

He looks up at me hopefully. "You'll help me out?"

I grit my teeth but give him a smile. "Yeah, man. But I highly doubt you'll need it."

I give him a wink and he nods, feeling much better and sure of himself. He gets up off the bed and follows me downstairs to where Rose has coffee already waiting in the pot, though she's nowhere to be seen. Like I said, she did not like what I was going to do today. And I couldn't blame her for it. This was hitting close to home for the both of us. Too close.

After a quick cup, Edward grabs my keys and heads out to my car. He pulls out of the driveway and honks his 'see you soon'.

I watch him drive off, feeling guilty about what I've done but reminding myself of what I know to be true. I'll do anything for Bella. And if that includes what I just did, then so be it. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her, take care of her, keep her safe.

I see him turn the corner. And the oscar goes to...

Rose's arms appear out of nowhere and wrap around me. "Are you alright, babe?"

I nod, stroking her arms tenderly with my hand. "Yeah, babe. I will be."

She kisses my shoulder and we stand there like that for a few minutes, just staring off into the distance.

I know Edward. What he's about to do will occupy his mind for the next couple of days. If that bitch takes him back and I know she will, he'll go on that business trip. But after a while, he'll try to call Bella. I know he will. And even though I told her she has the upper hand and can do what she wants, there can be no doubt now. Edward's not going to keep buying my bullshit much longer. He's suspicious now. His questions confirmed that. And the worst thing in a situation like this one is the suspicion, the paranoia that builds and whispers to you that maybe, just maybe, something really is going on. Rose and I know that best.

I really just hope that Bella makes up her mind soon. I wasn't lying to her when I said I think Jake's good for her. Rose sees it, too. He makes her happy, helps her to forget. And he did get through to her last night, even when I couldn't. I saw it with my own eyes. The way she let him hold her as I talked to her, the way she was able to reassure him when he was upset. She wasn't pushing him away. She was letting him in. The only other person she's ever let in since her world went to shit is me. And that's because she feels safe with me. After all, I was _there_. But now, she feels safe with Jake, too. She has to or else she wouldn't have let him get close to her again like that last night. That right there tells me Jake's the right move for her. And if he is the cure, the very thing that makes my girl happy again, then by God I will do whatever it takes to fucking protect it.

It's an added bonus that it just happens to be one of my best friends. Another reason I do it. Bella seems to be good for Jake, too. Rose sees that as well. Jake was fucking dead inside, going through one pussy after another, just trying to find something, anything, to make him feel again. Something to get the whore's attention to make her sit up and finally take notice of what she had neglected at home. But since he's been with Bella, I see life in him again. He laughs, really laughs. And I catch him smiling a lot, that big old stupid grin on his face. Whenever I ask him about it, he just shakes his head, smiling wider and refuses to tell me. Well, that is, until this past weekend, when it all came out in the wash. But he's starting to become his old self again. He's healing, opening up once more rather than keeping himself shut off from the rest of the world. Bella's the right move for him, too. She makes him happy, I saw that last night when she ran down the stairs to greet him. I swear, I've never seen him smile like _that_ before.

It was a moment they shared, a moment so intensely private and rare, I didn't want to spoil it. So, I went upstairs to see my other girl.

I sighed. I just hope Jake's strong enough to deal with Bella's... _past_. Stronger than Edward. Hell, stronger than me.

And as guilty as I feel for being the puppetmaster of Edward's strings, I don't feel _that_ bad. Like I said before, my sympathy for him has run its course. He made his own bed and now he has to lay in it. And after what he pulled last year, he's lucky I didn't fucking kill him. So, I don't feel as horrible as maybe I should in helping Jake and Bella out. So, I'm sorry but not really.

Rose hugs me tighter and lays her head on my shoulder. "Babe, why are you doing all of this? I know she means a great deal to you but isn't this going above and beyond what's expected of you as her best friend? I know _he_ hasn't been the best to her lately but considering the circumstances, shouldn't we just let them work it out on their own? I mean, Jake left Ness. He made his decision. Bella's gonna have to make hers and you can't do it for her, you know? You can't protect her from every little thing as much as I know you want to. I mean, I understand-"

I turned to face her and cupped her cheek gently. "No, babe. You really don't. You really _don't_ understand."

She narrows her eyes at me as I knew she would. "What are you talking about, I don't understand? Of course I do." She's pissed now, thinking I'm talking about us and insulting her all in the same breath.

I sigh and kiss her before pulling back and looking down at her sadly. "No, you don't. Babe, there's something I haven't told you. About all of...this. I think now is as good a time as any. Let's go inside and sit down."

She looks worried now but nods. "Okay."

I sigh, take her hand and lead her up to the house. I've never told her. Not only because it wasn't my right to, not really, but also because it's not easy for me to talk about. Everything happened before she came into the picture and the dark place I went into to try to save Bella because Edward was too weak to...I don't like to relive it. I can't even guarantee right now that I won't be crying like a little girl by the end of this conversation. But, it's inevitable; I have to tell Rose the truth. She's already at her limit with all of this crap and I can't say I blame her. She just really doesn't understand. And like I said, I'll do whatever it takes to protect Bella. And if that means in about ten minutes, I'm gonna be sobbing like a little bitch than that's what I'll do. _Whatever_ it takes.


End file.
